


Crown

by journalistxwest



Category: The Flash (TV 2014)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-23
Updated: 2019-03-23
Packaged: 2019-11-28 22:07:09
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,040
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18214271
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/journalistxwest/pseuds/journalistxwest
Summary: I just wished they'd write Iris like a black woman with black experiences. That's all.





	Crown

**Author's Note:**

> Set before the Thawne reveal after grace destroys the lab. Sorry for any grammer mistakes. Enjoy! thanks

"It is so good to finally be home, listen, babe, I don't think neither I nor our bank accounts can handle any more surprises. It's gonna cost a ton to fix the cortex." Iris says slipping on her pajama pants and laying down.  
  
"I know, we'll figure it out, we always do,"  Barry says back confidently.

"Schrap, can you just behave today please!" shouts a female voice from downstairs.  
  
"Barry you didn't spontaneously get a Barky Allen did you. We've been over this-" chides Iris turning over in bed to face her husband.  
  
"Wow, Barky Allen" Barry says teasingly, "Cisco better watch out, looks like he's got some competition in the naming department."  
  
Iris tries to hide her smile and hits him playfully "What can I say, it's a gift."

Barry moves to say something but Iris stops him "Hold that thought, I'll be right back, I think I have a pretty good guess as to why our daughter is screaming to herself at 2 am."

She gets up and heads downstairs towards the bathroom, only to find Nora mid-battle with a brush and comb. Her hair is poofed out in a way Iris has never seen before, she can't help but let out a small giggle.  
  
Nora turns around at the sound of her mother's voice "Hey mama" she sighs as she sets the brush down on the counter.  
  
"Hey baby, you alright" Iris ask while tucking a lock of her own hair behind her ear.  
  
"Yes .. well not exactly, it's just like sometimes my hair has a mind of its own, it's such a mess ugh, I hate it."  
  
Iris nods knowingly and takes a seat on top of the nearby toilet. She looks over at her daughter, pointing to a spot on the floor next to her "Come sit here with your back to me."  
  
"On the ground?" asks a confused Nora.  
  
"Yes ma'am" Iris quickly retorts.  
  
" _On the ground_?" Nora asks again just to reconfirm.  
  
"Yup, if I can recall correctly its the best seat in the house," Iris says taking the brush and comb up from where they lay as Nora sits apprehensively.  
  
Iris begins to slowly part Nora's hair, the memories flooding back at her at an almost overwhelming rate, she smiles to herself once more then speaks" First of all I need you to understand that your hair is beautiful, my hair is beautiful, mama Cecile's hair is beautiful and that it's a privilege to be in this skin. Your hair does not have to be straightened for it to be acceptable."  
  
"I know, I know that it's just... when dad disappeared I became the girl whose parent died. That's all anyone ever saw when they looked at me when they looked at us. I came home one day crying, begging you to make me look different so that people would leave me alone, would stop reminding me that I'd lost everything. You'd just gotten your hair done for Auntie K- an uh party we had to go to. I looked up at you all mesmerized then I sniffled, dried my tears, and said: "Mommy I want this, I want hair like yours."  
  
At first, you refused, of course, you wanted me to own my blackness the same way you do now. But, the thing is I never stopped loving it, I just needed to be someone else for a minute, something else. You eventually gave in and the next day I went to school and all the questions stopped. Everyone loved my hair, they loved it enough to forget that something used to matter more. My hair became my safety net, my curls only reminded me that I was half you and half a person who'd been gone for so long I wondered if they ever existed at all. I don't know how to do my own hair because I don't know how to be me, I don't know what that means.  
  
By the time Nora finished, Iris had braided her short curly bob into an updo, there were tears in her eyes and she ached for the little girl she didn't know, as well as, the one in front of her.  
  
"They asked me those questions to you know when I was little - about my mom. So at 8, I told my dad not to braid my hair anymore. Then I stopped wearing my curls at 10 when _I_ became the black girl with no mom..whose best friend was practically an orphan. I finally decided I needed their attention to be elsewhere and when I was 11 I got my first sew-in. To be honest, I still hide behind my hair and I'm working on being comfortable with me again. Honey, we're always going to be a work in progress but the first step in that cycle is knowing that what grows out of our heads is not our burden, it's our gift." Iris says getting up and stretching her arms.  
  
"Thanks, Mom, I'm gonna head to bed now, I love you," Nora says pausing to hug Iris then make her way to the living room

\----------------------  
  
Iris heads back upstairs and flops down on the bed "I'm so glad we have this life together Barry, I love you both so much. I can't wait for us to see her grow up together. We're going to fix this, you're going to be there."  
  
"You're so beautiful, every part of you is beautiful, everything about you is beautiful. I hope you know that. Barry says leaning in to kiss his wife.  
  
"I know, I haven't always... but I do now," says Iris turning off the light. Tomorrow was a new day, a new chance to be the best version of herself."

"Barry?" Iris whispers suddenly turning the light back on  
  
"Yea" he responds whispering back.  
  
"How much do you know about natural hair?" Iris says plainly.  
  
"Other than that it comes out your head not much" Barry retorts.  
  
"Okay that's it, family trip tomorrow," Iris says yawning.  
  
"Happy Harbor?!" Barry says excitedly.  
  
"No something even better, beauty supply store!" Iris says quickly kissing him goodnight.  
  
Barry sits up puzzled as Iris closes her eyes "Beauty supply huh? Iris what is that... Iris?.


End file.
